Serena Fineschi on the autonomy of art and the artist's surrender

In a philosophical essay published on Artribune, artist Serena Fineschi argues that artworks do not tell stories but exist solely as themselves, born from a momentary absence of meaning. She criticizes artists who seek to narrate their work, calling them presumptuous and ignorant of their loss of authority over the piece. Fineschi asserts that the artwork's value emerges only through the viewer's gaze, which provides an uncomfortable comfort. She condemns pseudo-artists who use art as a means for personal fame, emphasizing that the work possesses eternity and universality beyond the creator. The artist, she writes, is like an antenna receiving signals, bearing the weight of seeing beyond things, leading to downfall rather than fame. Creation arises from sudden or slow visions, and the work is never finished; it is given to the world and relinquished. The essay references Robert Wiene's film 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920) and Pina Bausch's 'Café Müller' (1978) as examples. Fineschi concludes that art lives in stumbling, where feeling annihilates thinking, and the work results from uncertain attempts and near failures. The piece is part of Artribune Magazine #38.